The conduct of University administrators, faculty, and support staff should be characterized by integrity. Each individual’s personal and professional conduct reflects on one’s institution, profession, and the higher education enterprise at large.
To guide University administrators, faculty, and support staff in setting and practicing high standards of ethical conduct, the University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees has chosen to voluntarily comply with the spirit of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and has developed the following Code of Ethics. USI embraces the values expressed in the Code and advocates their observance by the members of the USI community. University administrators, faculty, and support staff should:
- Comply with applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations;
- Act with competence and strive to advance competence, both in self and in others;
- Devote time, thought, and study to the duties and responsibilities of one’s job and be able to render effective and creditable service;
- Understand the University’s objectives and policies and contribute constructively to their ongoing evaluation and reformulation;
- Maintain the confidentiality of privileged information that infringes upon another’s right to privacy and not disclose information to secure personal or financial gain;
- Complete the University’s Possible Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement to disclose any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, in any business, transaction, or professional activity which may be in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of one’s duties;
- Refuse to accept any gift, favor, service, or other item of significant value from any person, group, private business, or public agency which may affect the impartial performance of one’s duties; and
- Refuse to engage in actions that violate the ethical principles contained in this Code or provisions of law.
Prompt internal reporting of code violations should be reported through the appropriate departmental administrative personnel or to Human Resources and reviewed. Any issues pertaining to code violations would follow the same due process as currently outlined in the University Handbook.